Texas Heart Institute Among America's Top 10
Heart Centers for 23rd Consecutive Year

Houston, Texas (July 16, 2013) – For the 23rd consecutive year, the Texas Heart Institute
(THI) has been named one of the top 10 heart centers in the nation in the
annual U.S. News & World Report
rankings announced today. THI has been ranked in the top 10 every year since
the prestigious rankings began in 1990.

"Needless to say, we are proud of
being among the very best for almost a quarter-century," said THI President and
Medical Director James T. Willerson, MD. "Most importantly, our patients and
the people of Houston and Texas benefit from the hard work and long-term
dedication of our physicians, nurses and other staff."

The Texas Heart
Institute (www.texasheart.org),
founded by world-renowned cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Denton A. Cooley in 1962,
is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the devastating toll of
cardiovascular disease through innovative and progressive programs in research,
education, and improved patient care.

THI, along with its clinical partner, St. Luke's Hospital, is ranked 10th
for the 2013-14 reviewing period.

The rankings, determined through criteria such
as surgical volume, ratio of registered nurses to beds, number of medical and
surgical discharges and recognition by peers, are designed to assist people in
seeking the highest level of skill in diagnosing, treating or managing
difficult medical conditions. U.S. News
evaluated data from almost 5,000 hospitals, engaged in physician surveys and
considered patient outcomes, then recognized only 148 hospitals. The rankings
cover 16 medical specialties and all 94 U.S. metro areas that have at least
500,000 residents and at least one hospital that performed well enough to be
ranked.

The Cardiology & Heart Surgery ranking is
made up of 720 hospitals. All are experienced in treating difficult cases — a
hospital is listed only if at least 1,321 inpatients in need of a high level of
expertise in this specialty were treated there in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The top
50 hospitals are ranked, based on score.

Unlike other rankings and reports, U.S. News
& World Report looks at how well centers do in complex and demanding
situations. The recognized centers fit a certain mold. They are often referral
centers because their physicians see sicker patients and do higher volumes of
difficult procedures. They follow and often propose advanced treatment
guidelines. They conduct research that migrates from the labs and computer
databases to the bedside. Also, they take advantage of improvements in imaging,
surgical devices and other technologies.

In the news July 16, 2013US News "Best Hospitals" rankings good news for Houston• Houston again tops on list of best hospitals ... St. Luke's (home of Texas Heart Institute) is number two in Houston. — ABC 13 Local•
Houston Hospitals Stand Out In National Hospital Rankings ... making
the national top-ten lists for medical specialties ... the Texas Heart
Institute at St. Luke's, for cardiac care. — KUHF• Houston's best hospital is . . . . New US News & World Report
rankings see streak continue ... most of the Houston-area hospitals
remain in the same top positions as the previous year's rankings. — Culture Map